title: Association of urine protein excretion and infection with Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in Bernese Mountain dogs.
abstract: Bernese Mountain dogs (BMDs) are prone to develop a familial glomerulonephropathy and a pathogenic role of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in this disease has been suspected. Glomerular disease in many affected dogs is clinically inapparent and proteinuria is found incidentally. In this study, urine protein excretion was evaluated in 122 clinically healthy BMDs and 55 controls. The seroprevalence of B. burgdorferi in BMDs was 57%, compared to 16% in controls. There were no significant differences in the occurrence of positive dipstick results, microalbuminuria, urine protein-to-urine creatinine ratio or abnormal urine protein pattern (determined by sodium dodecyl sulphate agarose gel electrophoresis) between BMDs and controls and BMDs with and without antibodies against B. burgdorferi. It was concluded that antibodies against B. burgdorferi are not associated with proteinuria as an early sign of renal disease in BMDs.
authors.affiliation: Clinic for Small Animal Internal Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty University of Zurich, Winterthurstrasse 260, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland. bgerber@vetclinics.unizh.ch
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gerber
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Eichenberger
authors.forename: Katharinan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Haug
authors.forename: Max M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Wittenbrink
authors.forename: Claudia E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Reusch
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D015748:Borrelia burgdorferi Group / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000382:microbiology / Q000652:urine*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D015432:Glomerulonephritis, Membranoproliferative / Q000235:genetics / Q000382:microbiology / Q000652:urine / Q000662:veterinary*; D008193:Lyme Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000652:urine / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D010375:Pedigree; D011507:Proteinuria / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000662:veterinary*
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial